With some of the strangest weather patterns on record causing a number of large music event cancellations, 2022 wasn’t perfect for the festival market. However, as that old song goes, “It was a very good year.” In fact, just last month, Solotech president/CEO Martin Tremblay reported that “2022 was a record-breaking international festival and music season for Solotech,” with the company’s teams and gear supporting more than 280 festivals around the world during 2022. Given that premise, we decided to look back at some at this season’s festivals.
The Governors Ball Music Festival, Citi Field, Queens, NY
Sunset after a long day at Gov Ball. Phot by Shane Thomas
From June 10-12, The Governors Ball Music Festival (Gov Ball) showcased more than 60 artists of various genres who performed across three stages at New York City’s Citi Field. This year, St. Louis-based Gateway Studios & Production Services — who had provided video for more than a decade of past Gov Balls — provided media servers, camera packages and video support for all three stages and brought in a d&b audiotechnik rig to handle the large main Stage One.
Traditionally, Gov Ball has been a four-stage festival, but with rising costs and the ramifications of Covid-19, the festival was cut to three stages while still maintaining the same number of acts. Tight changeovers and preparedness were crucial to ensuring a successful flow of the event. Chris Clark, crew chief for Gov Ball and director of audio at Gateway, was critical in the festival’s design, setup and coordination.
The Black Pumas take the stage. Photo by Shane Thomas
System Design
Clark worked with Gov Ball’s audio project manager Monty Curry in designing a new audio environment for the main stage. The cabinet specs from previous years were for a smaller configuration and needed to be updated. Further, in a multi-stage festival, keeping sound where you need it and away from other stages is critical. Clark pitched a new design where d&b’s directional SL-Series line arrays offered a solution to take the festival’s audio needs to the next level.
“Our audio team was key to having everything checked and ready ahead of time to get the bands on and off stage,” Clark said. “The main goal was to achieve a lot of flexibility in the stage configuration, and full broadband audio control in the house.”
The new design incorporated d&b GSL8s for the main and side hangs, and d&b SL-SUBs flown left and right to ensure consistent low-end throughout the entire festival site. Stacked SL-SUBs topped with V12s, and V10Ps provided plenty of impact and covered the areas closest to the stage, including the elevated VIP platforms above stage left and right. The distributed system incorporated a single delay tower using d&b GSL8s to deliver consistent coverage to the raised VIP compound on the farthest end of the grounds. Stage monitors were d&b M2s, with B6s for stage subwoofers. KSL8s and KSL subs were deployed as side fills.
“Stage side fills can present challenges on larger festival stages such as this. Higher stage volumes can pollute microphones on deck. Using the SL-Series as side fills helped us focus audio downstage while maintaining a cleaner environment for our backline microphones,” Clark said. “This way, our sources stayed clean, and everything sounded great downstage where artists need a lot of vocal volume. There was disbelief among a few artist’s engineers at the level of gain before feedback, until they walked out on stage themselves to hear how well it was performing.”
The Mic Solution
Gateway also demoed Shure’s new KSM11 wireless capsule, which performed exceptionally well in the festival environment. The transducer technology provided low- and mid-range clarity with high-end detail without the need for additional processing. “The clarity, pattern control, inherent presence, and gain before feedback were all phenomenal,” said monitor engineer Benny Sanchez. “One of the first things I listen for is handling noise, which was non-existent with this capsule. We are getting the audio we want and nothing more,” said monitor and RF tech Jared Green.
“Festivals sometimes provide unique, loud audio environments with stage monitors and side fills,” Clark continued. “Artists jump on and off the stage, spend a large amount of time on the thrust in front of the P.A., are in front of subs and fills often, so there is an immense potential for feedback. We used the KSM11 on festival-provided RF and it was incredibly stable. We didn’t have any issues, and all artists were very impressed with its performance.”
A Team Effort
In addition to providing a turnkey solution for the main stage, Gateway supplied small audio packages for the other stages and pulled together with the other production houses, Unreal Systems, and DCR, to meet the extreme needs of unpredictable festival environments. “We were all working together and assisted each other with the daily changes that come with festivals. It was a big team effort,” Clark said.
Over three days of 10 hours of back-to-back onstage music with 30-minute changeovers can present challenges with both sound checks and stage management – technicians and performers alike rely on efficiency for success. “Getting bands on and off stage while ensuring they were set at front of house and monitors was critical to timing,” Clark explains, adding that: “In terms of artists, festivals always provide a wide variety of experience levels, including last-minute performer changes. Our crews were ready for any audio need that came our way and we were always on schedule.”
Details, Details…
It’s now commonplace to have streaming included in a festival experience. We have seen this in practice with festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo in 2022. For Gov Ball, Sirius XM provided a stream for each of the stages. Gateway provided an ISO split system with a few “flavors” of audio split to give the broadcast team flexibility in their mix. In all, Gateway provided a full analog ISO Split, a full MADI split from the Avid S6L system, a redundant feed from the P.A., Prodigy.MP and the option for stems for any artist engineers that preferred this method, all fed to the broadcast Prodigy.MC.
All three stages were close together, positioned back-to-back. Gov Ball had specific sound requirements for what needed be cardioid and directional. With varying genres such as rap, electronic and more, there were a lot of heavy low-end frequencies. “The Main Stage did great at keeping the audio where it needed to be,” Clark says. “Specific sound control is crucial in these environments. We received no complaints from the surrounding stages.” Sounds like a job well done.
Gov Ball 2022
Stage One Crew:
- Sound Co: Gateway Studios & Production Services
- FOH Systems Engineer: Webster Tileston
- Monitor Engineer: Benny Sanchez
- Monitor and RF Tech: Jared Green
- FOH A2/Stage and Patch Tech: Shane Thomas
- Crew Chief: Chris Clark
- Gov Ball Audio Project Manager: Monty Curry
Stage One Gear:
FOH
- Console: Avid S6L-24C
- System Drive: Direct Out Prodigy. MP
- Record Capture: Direct Out Prodigy. MC
MON
- Console: Avid S6L-32D
- Wireless Systems: Shure Axient Digital, PSM 1000
- Wireless Mics: Shure KSM9, SM58, B58A; KSM11 capsules
- Monitors: (16) d&b audiotechnik M2s, (4) B6 subs
- Side Fills: (4) d&b KSL8, (2) KSL Sub per side
STAGE ONE P.A.
- Main Hangs: (36) d&b audiotechnik GSL8s
- Side Hangs: (24) d&b GSL8s
- Delay Hang: (9) d&b GSL8s
- Flown Subs: (16) d&b SL-SUBs flown; (30) SL-SUBs ground
- Front Fills: (6) d&b V12, (2) V10Ps
- VIP Deck Fills: (2) d&b V10Ps
- Amps: (90) d&b D80
Boston Calling Music Festival, Harvard Athletic Complex, Boston, MA
Metallica rocks the Green Stage at Boston Calling 2022. Photo courtesy Boston Calling/Alive Coverage
Boston Calling, with its familiar derby-wearing Boston terrier mascot, is a long-running, highly successful music festival that began in 2013 as an annual (and for a few years bi-annual) event held in the town’s spacious City Hall Plaza, before moving to its current site at the Harvard Athletic Complex along the Charles River.
Over the weekend of May 27-29, 2022, headliners for this year’s Boston Calling Music Festival included Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Rüfüs Du Sol, Weezer, Run the Jewels, HAIM, Cheap Trick and many more. Festivals can sometimes be unpredictable and staff and crew need to be ready for anything. This year’s event ran smoothly except for a last-minute COVID-based cancellation by The Strokes. Undaunted, Nine Inch Nails (who had headlined the night before) returned the next night to fill the vacancy. Hey, the show must go on…
Clearwing Productions provided audio and lighting for the 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival. Founded in 1976 under the name Clearwing Audio, the company began by providing sound engineering for local events and festivals in Milwaukee, and has been growing ever since. Still family owned and operated, Clearwing has since opened additional locations in Arizona, California and Colorado to supplement its Wisconsin roots and has deployed pro audio, lighting, video equipment, production and crews across the U.S. and all over the world.
The Green Stage
For the largest “Green” stage, which hosted acts such as Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, HAIM, Black Pumas, Hinds, Cults and more, many of the artists brought their own FOH and/or monitor people, and Clearwing brought in a full complement of engineering staff to step in to assist or mix if necessary. These included Robby Hegge at FOH, Ruben Aguirre at monitors, plus techs Taylor Mundstock, Jon Dasilva and Jake Chamley.
For main P.A. coverage at Boston Calling’s three large festival stages, Clearwing spec’ed L-Acoustics systems.
FOH at the Green Stage had Avid S6L-32D and DiGiCo SD10 consoles and a similar setup at monitor world. The main P.A. hangs had ten L-Acoustics K1, four K2 and 12 K1SB subs flown per side. Side hangs were all L-Acoustics KARA and another 12 KARAs were employed as front fills. Ground subs were 32 L-Acoustics KS28 double-18s and each of the two delay towers had six L-Acoustics K2s.
Also on the Green Stage, Shure PSM 1000s were provided for IEMs, in addition to 16 d&b audiotechnik M2 monitor wedges an SB18 drum sub and stacked sidefills of three L-Acoustics ARCS II with SB28s on each side.
The Red Stage
Staffing at the Red Stage (which hosted artists such as Weezer, Rüfüs Du Sol, Celisse, Run the Jewels, Cheap Trick and others) included Joe Langholt at FOH, Ethan Sommer at monitors and techs Bill Price and John Karwecki.
Both the FOH and monitor positions had Avid VENUE Profile consoles with a DiGiCo SD10 or SD12. The main P.A. hang had 12 L-Acoustics K2s and four flown K1SB subs
per side, along with six KARAs as front fills and 16 ground KS28 subs. Monitoring had Shure PSM-1000 IEMs, with stacked sidefills of two L-Acoustics ARCS II with two SB28s/side, along with 12 JBL M22 wedges and an L-Acoustics SB18 drum sub.
The Blue Stage
The Blue Stage hosted artists such as Goose, Earthgang, Avril Lavigne, Cliff Notez, DJO, Charlotte Sands and Japanese Breakfast. Blue Stage audio staff included FOH engineer Kevin McKenzie, monitor engineer Steve Sonnenberg and techs Chris Bloch and Shawn Khan. The console complement had Avid VENUE Profiles at both FOH and monitor world.
The P.A. for that stage consisted of 12 L-Acoustics K2 per side, with 16 KS28 ground subs and six KARAs as front fills. On the monitor side were Shure PSM-1000s, with 12 JBL M22 wedges, L-Acoustics SB18 drum sub and stacked L/R sidefills, each with two L-Acoustics ARCS II with two SB28 subs/side.
The town’s signature music festival, Boston Calling returns to the Harvard Athletic Complex next year, from May 26-28, 2023.
Britt Music & Arts Festival, Jacksonville, OR
The Britt Festival offers great sounds in a serene setting. Photo by Matt Honnies
Established in 1963 exclusively for classical concerts, the Britt Festival of Music and Arts expanded with a pop series in the 1980s. George Relles first brought Meyer Sound MSL-3 speakers to the Britt Pavilion in 1986, and in 2022 he flew his new Panther large-format line arrays into the festival’s wooden shell for the summer-long Britt Music and Arts Festival from June 5 through Sept 11, 2022.
“I’ve always wanted to have a gold-standard P.A. system at the Britt,” says Relles, “because it’s a wonderful venue to show off a P.A. For decades I’ve been in on the ground floor of the newest Meyer Sound speaker systems, and this is where I bring them first.”
Although a smaller pavilion — 2,200 capacity with 949 reserved seats — in a secondary market, the idyllic location, mild summer weather, and top-notch sound have made “the Britt” a favorite among touring artists. In addition to a three-week classical series, the 2022 schedule of 28 pop concerts includes, among the others, ZZ Top, Norah Jones, Bonnie Raitt and Chicago.
The Panther line array arrived in July, with the transition from the prior LEO Family system taking place a couple days ahead of the Jason Mraz show.
“It was a tight schedule for bringing online a system I had never heard before,” says Relles, who serves as systems tech for nearly all shows. “But I was confident in the results, and it tuned up easily. I used maybe one U-shaped filter and a couple parametrics, and that was it. One FOH engineer told me it sounded great, and that I must have spent a lot of time tuning it. ‘No,’ I said, ‘only about an hour, with just 15 minutes for EQ and the rest for timing front fills with the arrays.’”
The stage right Panther hang. Photo by Mike Gantenbein
Relles says Panther moved the sound up a notch. “It penetrates more consistently up the hill. It is a much bigger sound, with a really tight low-end filling out the sub area.”
The venue’s production director, Derek Cole, agrees. “I like the look of it, and there’s not a bad seat anywhere, all the way back to the picnic tables 120 yards from the stage. Also, word is out to the bands, and some — like Dark Star Orchestra — are excited about using it.”
Mike Sturgill has been with the Britt Festival for more than 30 years, overseeing production and booking the venue since 1995. “Over the last few years, I’ve had engineers tell me our LEO system was the best rig they had mixed on all summer, and I fully expect that will continue with Panther.
“George and his Meyer Sound systems have been integral to our success,” Sturgill continues. “George cares about everything, he pays attention to details, he helps mixers get the most out of the systems, and he anticipates problems before they happen. We don’t have to worry about the sound here at Britt, ever.”
Relles has been the exclusive sound provider for the Britt Music and Arts Festival since 1981 and later acquired six Meyer Sound MSL-3 loudspeaker systems in 1986. Over the decades, Relles continually upgraded to the newest Meyer Sound systems in the first year of introduction: the self-powered MSL-4 in 1995, M2D line array in 2002, MICA line array in 2005 and a LEO Family system (Lyon and Leopard) in 2015.
“Because I’m a hands-on owner-operator, I really care about the products I use,” Relles says. “I’ve worked with some touring engineers who have a reputation for chewing up system techs, and they’ve told me every time they come here it sounds great.”
Relles’ longevity at the Britt Pavilion also is attributable to his selection of front-end gear, including an SSL L500 mixing console and a collection of mics for classical and acoustic music encompassing 40 Schoeps models and 50 DPA miniature clip-on condensers. Relles mixes the classical concert series himself, as well as most opening acts of the pop series.
